http://www.azcentral.com/sports/diamondbacks/04cactus/0229dbacks0229.html
Bob McManaman
The Arizona Republic
Feb. 29, 2004 12:00 AM
TUCSON - They gave him Curt Schilling's old locker and promoted him to Schilling's old spot in the starting rotation, but the Diamondbacks don't expect Brandon Webb to be Curt Schilling.
There's only one of those and he's now with the Boston Red Sox, a million miles away as far as the Diamondbacks are concerned.
"I haven't talked to him (Webb) about that, and I don't know if I will," manager Bob Brenly said. "Despite his southern accent, he's a pretty sharp guy, and he picks things up rather quickly. All of our pitchers know you don't replace Schilling."
There are similarities. Webb is a right-hander. He's a competitor who wants the ball. He has a devastating pitch - a sinker - and isn't afraid to use it 80 percent of the time.
But there are differences just the same. Webb doesn't have a computer hooked up next to his stall inside the clubhouse at Tucson Electric Park. He doesn't hold daily bull sessions with the media. He doesn't have his own radio show.
Yet.
Give the kid a chance, just as Brenly plans to do this season by letting him pitch in the No. 2 spot behind Randy Johnson, and you just never know. Maybe Webb will start holding news conferences in front of his house and trade e-mails with Diamondbacks Managing General Partner Jerry Colangelo.
"I don't think Webby owns a computer," Johnson said.
Webb prefers a fishing pole and a little quiet. The 24-year-old from Ashland, Ky., is a down-home country boy at heart.
"I don't want to say he doesn't care, because he obviously cares. I just don't think he grasps the importance of all this," Brenly said, trying to describe Webb's personality. "He's just a country boy out there pitching, doing what he loves to do.
"You could name him the No. 1 starter or you could name him the 12th pitcher on the staff and it's not going to make any difference the way he goes about his business."
The son of an oil-plant engineer and a mother who types up doctors' medical reports, Webb is so closely tied to his roots that he and his newlywed, Alicia, purchased a new home in Ashland and reside there in the off-season.
Philip and Dreama, his dad and mom, still live there. It's a town of about 35,000 and, according to Brandon, at least three other women have the same first name as his mother.
Near as anyone can tell, there's only one person from Ashland gracing billboards in Tucson. A likeness of Webb greets travelers near the club's spring training facility.
Webb, who set team rookie records in strikeouts (172), starts (28), innings pitched (180.2) and tied the rookie mark for wins (10), gets teased about the billboard.
"Everybody has made sure they told me they've seen it," Webb said, rolling his eyes. "But it's pretty neat to have something like that, for sure."
It could be just the beginning. If he avoids the sophomore slump and continues to baffle hitters with his sinker, it could net Webb a Schilling-like contract someday. Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox, for one, thinks Webb is well on his way.
"Yeah, it was my second start and I threw seven innings, (and allowed) one run," said Webb, whose 2.84 ERA was sixth best in the majors. "After the game, he (Cox) said it was the nastiest sinker in baseball he's ever seen. Hearing that from somebody like him that is pretty special."
Not bad for a kid from Ashland, where the coolest thing to do is actually drive to Huntington, W.Va. "They've got a decent mall and some nice restaurants up there," Webb said. "Ashland's growing, though. It's getting some things."
Just like Webb, who vows to do his best to handle all the heavy expectations while keeping it all in perspective.
"It's been a pretty amazing ride so far," he said. "But taking somebody like Schilling out of the rotation and me coming in, there's going to be 20 games there that have to be filled. I have to try to find a way to do that, not by being Schilling, but by throwing like myself."
Learning the day-to-day nuances of life in the majors from Johnson and Schilling last season was invaluable. So were the tips about training, studying hitters and learning the strike zones of various umpires.
"The biggest thing I told him last year, and I don't think it's any secret, is that in his last two or three starts, he got a little tired," Johnson said. "I told him . . . the effort you put into spring training, you'll get out of your effort in games you pitch during the year.
"And we're counting on him a lot this year."
Bob McManaman
The Arizona Republic
Feb. 29, 2004 12:00 AM
TUCSON - They gave him Curt Schilling's old locker and promoted him to Schilling's old spot in the starting rotation, but the Diamondbacks don't expect Brandon Webb to be Curt Schilling.
There's only one of those and he's now with the Boston Red Sox, a million miles away as far as the Diamondbacks are concerned.
"I haven't talked to him (Webb) about that, and I don't know if I will," manager Bob Brenly said. "Despite his southern accent, he's a pretty sharp guy, and he picks things up rather quickly. All of our pitchers know you don't replace Schilling."
There are similarities. Webb is a right-hander. He's a competitor who wants the ball. He has a devastating pitch - a sinker - and isn't afraid to use it 80 percent of the time.
But there are differences just the same. Webb doesn't have a computer hooked up next to his stall inside the clubhouse at Tucson Electric Park. He doesn't hold daily bull sessions with the media. He doesn't have his own radio show.
Yet.
Give the kid a chance, just as Brenly plans to do this season by letting him pitch in the No. 2 spot behind Randy Johnson, and you just never know. Maybe Webb will start holding news conferences in front of his house and trade e-mails with Diamondbacks Managing General Partner Jerry Colangelo.
"I don't think Webby owns a computer," Johnson said.
Webb prefers a fishing pole and a little quiet. The 24-year-old from Ashland, Ky., is a down-home country boy at heart.
"I don't want to say he doesn't care, because he obviously cares. I just don't think he grasps the importance of all this," Brenly said, trying to describe Webb's personality. "He's just a country boy out there pitching, doing what he loves to do.
"You could name him the No. 1 starter or you could name him the 12th pitcher on the staff and it's not going to make any difference the way he goes about his business."
The son of an oil-plant engineer and a mother who types up doctors' medical reports, Webb is so closely tied to his roots that he and his newlywed, Alicia, purchased a new home in Ashland and reside there in the off-season.
Philip and Dreama, his dad and mom, still live there. It's a town of about 35,000 and, according to Brandon, at least three other women have the same first name as his mother.
Near as anyone can tell, there's only one person from Ashland gracing billboards in Tucson. A likeness of Webb greets travelers near the club's spring training facility.
Webb, who set team rookie records in strikeouts (172), starts (28), innings pitched (180.2) and tied the rookie mark for wins (10), gets teased about the billboard.
"Everybody has made sure they told me they've seen it," Webb said, rolling his eyes. "But it's pretty neat to have something like that, for sure."
It could be just the beginning. If he avoids the sophomore slump and continues to baffle hitters with his sinker, it could net Webb a Schilling-like contract someday. Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox, for one, thinks Webb is well on his way.
"Yeah, it was my second start and I threw seven innings, (and allowed) one run," said Webb, whose 2.84 ERA was sixth best in the majors. "After the game, he (Cox) said it was the nastiest sinker in baseball he's ever seen. Hearing that from somebody like him that is pretty special."
Not bad for a kid from Ashland, where the coolest thing to do is actually drive to Huntington, W.Va. "They've got a decent mall and some nice restaurants up there," Webb said. "Ashland's growing, though. It's getting some things."
Just like Webb, who vows to do his best to handle all the heavy expectations while keeping it all in perspective.
"It's been a pretty amazing ride so far," he said. "But taking somebody like Schilling out of the rotation and me coming in, there's going to be 20 games there that have to be filled. I have to try to find a way to do that, not by being Schilling, but by throwing like myself."
Learning the day-to-day nuances of life in the majors from Johnson and Schilling last season was invaluable. So were the tips about training, studying hitters and learning the strike zones of various umpires.
"The biggest thing I told him last year, and I don't think it's any secret, is that in his last two or three starts, he got a little tired," Johnson said. "I told him . . . the effort you put into spring training, you'll get out of your effort in games you pitch during the year.
"And we're counting on him a lot this year."
